Pokeymon-gate

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - dat monster might be hidin' inna minefield...

Pokemon Go: Bosnia players warned of minefields
Tue, 19 Jul 2016 - Players of the hugely popular mobile game Pokemon Go in Bosnia are warned to avoid areas where landmines lie unexploded from the war in the 1990s.

A Bosnian demining charity, Posavina bez mina, issued its warning after hearing reports of Pokemon Go users venturing into risky areas. Players use their smartphones to hunt for cartoon monsters in the real world. At least 600 people have been killed in landmine accidents in Bosnia since the end of the war in 1995. About 120,000 mines remain undiscovered, a Bosnian demining group estimates.

A man plays Pokemon Go near a mine field in Bosnia

As the popularity of Pokemon Go has soared, there have been numerous incidents and accidents involving gamers. "We received information that some users of the Pokemon Go app in Bosnia were going to places which are a risk for mines, in search of a pokemon," Posavina bez mina said on Facebook. "Citizens are urged not to do so, to respect demarcation signs of dangerous mine fields and not to go into unknown areas," it added.

Earlier this week, two teenagers in the US state of Florida were shot at by a householder who mistook them for burglars. The game, however, has had some unexpected positive effects: in one UK town police said players reported a theft while hunting for monsters.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36841828

[Peter1469]

Darwin smiles

[waltky]

Ya gonna get a floggin' if ya play Pokemon in Saudi Arabia...

Saudi Clerics Renew Fatwa against ‘Pokemon Go’ Due to ‘Gambling’ and ‘Polytheism’ Elements in Game
July 20, 2016 – An old fatwa banning the original Pokemon card game has been renewed because of the new Pokemon Go craze, according to Arab News.

“The General Secretariat of the Council of Senior Scholars, on the website of the General Presidency for Scholarly Research and Ifta, has explicitly renewed the fatwa of the Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas banning the controversial mobile game,” Arab News reported on Wednesday. The old fatwa was issued in 2001 and it considered Pokemon a form of gambling, something which is forbidden in Islam. The fatwa cited a number of prohibitions that justify the banning of the game, including “gambling practices” and “the belief in and worship of many gods,” as well as “the promotion and advertising of disbelief, logos, forbidden images.”

Many prominent voices in the Arab world have condemned the game, including Abbas Shuman, deputy chair of Al-Azhar University in Egypt, who said, “This game makes people look like drunkards in the streets and on the roads while their eyes are glued to the mobile screens leading them to the location of the imaginary Pokemon in the hope of catching it,” reported Gulf News. “If such a game can deceive youngsters, I do not know where have gone the minds of adults, who can be hit by a car while being busy searching for Pokemon,” the cleric added.

Aljazeera reports that Hamdi Bakheet, a member of Egypt's committee of defense and national security, told parliament: "Pokemon Go is the latest tool used by spy agencies in the intel war, a cunning despicable app that tries to infiltrate our communities in the most innocent way under the pretext of entertainment. But all they really want is to spy on people and the state."

The concern over use of the game for spying was echoed by Dr. Khalifa Al-Makhrazi, head of the Family Consultative Council in Dubai, in a Sky News Arabia TV interview posted by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). “Any person playing this game is a spy, because the pictures he takes go straight to the global servers,” he claimed. “All the places, all the streets and even inside the homes, all the way to the bedrooms – the pictures go straight to the global servers, where they are saved, in order to expose all that is private. This game is the number one modern spying tool worldwide. A person unknowingly turns into a spy by playing this game."

Dr. Khalifa Al-Makhrazi also linked the game to “Darwinism” in the interview. “It is prohibited because it is connected to things we are not aware of. It is connected to one's faith. This game is genuinely and directly linked to Charles Darwin's doctrine of Darwinism,” he said, “to the theory of evolution and to the transmutation of the species, where a weak species transforms into a superior species. In our religion, this doctrine is forbidden. Therefore, Al-Azha issues a clear fatwa prohibiting playing this game.”

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/...e-gambling-and

[waltky]

Driver hits patrol car while playin' Pokemon Go...

Driver Playing 'Pokemon Go' Hits Cruiser
July 20, 2016 - A driver was playing Pokemon Go when he sideswiped a parked patrol car early Monday in Southeast Baltimore.

"You guys OK?" an officer asks passengers of the Toyota RAV4. The wreck near Patterson Park was captured on an officer's body camera. "That's what I get for playing this dumb a— game," says the driver, a young man. It's the latest incident raised by police to demonstrate how oblivious Pokemon hunters can stray into danger. Two people playing Pokemon Go were robbed at gunpoint early Sunday on Graceland Avenue in Southeast Baltimore, police said.

Also, three people were playing Monday afternoon in Clifton Park, police said, and they were robbed. The cellphone game has captivated fans who wander neighborhoods in search of the fantastic creatures. Distracted players have also been robbed in Parkville and at the University of Maryland.

Baltimore police said they're working to determine charges for the driver who sideswiped the patrol car. They have not released his name. "You can't wander aimlessly around," said T.J. Smith, a Baltimore police spokesman. "Pay attention to your surroundings. There are way too many people that have their heads buried in their phones trying to catch a Pokemon and the criminals are catching you."

http://www.officer.com/news/12234300...ore-police-car

See also:

N.H. Police Use Pokemon Go to Lure Fugitives
July 19, 2016 - The Manchester Police Department enlisted a new partner in its war against crime Saturday night -- Pokemon Go character Charizard.

The police department enlisted a new partner in its war against crime Saturday night — a Pokemon Go character. But while the recruit generated a lot of interest in social media, it’s yet to be responsible for a single arrest. On Saturday night, Manchester police posted a notice of the department’s Facebook page, announcing that the Charizard — a rare Pokemon Go character — is in the department’s booking area.

The post includes a drawing of the dragon-like creature with its tail aflame. The post explains that only specific people would be invited to capture Charizard. Then it gives a link to a list of people wanted by the police department. “If your name appears on the following list you are one of the lucky ones. Come down to the station to capture Charizard. Hurry before the Charizard leaves!” the post reads.

The Manchester Police Department enlisted a new partner in its war against crime Saturday night -- Pokemon Go character Charizard.

Pokemon Go’s supernatural powers have proved so strong that across the country, gamers have actually left couches and ventured outside. In Nashua, a Pokemon Go player found a dead body in a downtown creek. While no one on the wanted list checked in at the Manchester police station, the effort did generate a lot of interest for the department.

Some 30,000 Facebook users liked the post, nearly 14,500 shared it, and nearly 3,400 commented on it. “Anyone like this post as much as I do,” wrote I am Addicted to Surf. “Troll level = Master,” wrote John Paul Heldt. Others were critical of it. Some questioned if it constituted entrapment on the part of police. Others said the ploy may have worked if the user didn’t have to maneuver through three clicks to reach the list.

http://www.officer.com/news/12233768...lure-fugitives

[waltky]

Ya better watch where ya goin' when ya play Pokemon or ya liable to end up in another country...

Pokemon GO blamed for illegal border crossing from Canada to US
Sunday 24th July, 2016: Two youths unaware of their surroundings when they were playing Pokemon GO on their cell phones made an illegal border crossing this week from Canada into the United States in a remote part of Montana, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol said.

The two, who were not identified, were found by U.S. Border Patrol agents on Thursday, with their attention affixed to their phones as they were trying to hunt down cartoon characters on a journey that took them over the border. "Both juveniles were so captivated by their Pokemon GO games that they lost track of where they were," said Michael Rappold, a spokesman for the agency.

The two were reunited with their mothers at a nearby border patrol station, the agency said. The game has been an unexpected success from Spain to Australia, doubling Nintendo's value since the game's launch in the United States earlier this month.

Using mobile devices, players search for virtual Pokemon characters that appear to pop up at office spaces, restaurants, museums and other places. Players score points in various ways, including capturing the Pokemon characters with a flick of a finger on their phone screen. The game was also to blame for a rash of car accidents and a slew of mishaps stemming from distracted players.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/...l/2982204.html

See also:

Japan warns on Pokemon GO safety as impatient gamers await launch
July 21, 2016 - Gamers in Japan, home of Nintendo's Pokemon, are still impatiently awaiting the launch of the smash-hit Pokemon GO game but the government is already preparing for an invasion of little cartoon monsters, issuing a safety warning.

The country's National Center for Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC) issued nine instructions to users of the mobile game, ranging from advising them not to use their real names to warning gamers over fake apps. It is rare for NISC to issue an advisory over specific games, but Japan is just the latest government to do so over Pokemon GO, a game where users chase cuddly cartoon monsters in their real-life neighborhoods.

Pokemon Go security concerns: Security experts warning that the game has access to your Google account.

NISC, which said it put its warning out on Twitter and Line, also cautioned gamers over the risk of heat stroke while playing in Japan's sweltering summer sun, and told players not to wander into dangerous sites. Just days after the launch, police in the United States were issuing warnings after a dozen victims in Missouri were lured into armed robberies, and dozens more suffered minor injuries from tripping over while looking for Pokemon.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said on Thursday the government was aware that there were concerns about safety when people play Pokemon GO. "I would like people to follow the advisory the government issued to use smartphones safely," he told a news conference on Thursday. Pokemon GO has been an incredible success since its launch in a handful of countries earlier this month, now with more daily users that Twitter. The Japanese launch is expected imminently. Nintendo has not commented on the launch date.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/japan-war...or.html?ref=gs

[waltky]

possum thinks dey oughta put a token on top o' dat bombed-out building...

Anger as Pokemon Go players target Hiroshima memorial park
Thursday 28th July, 2016 - Authorities in Hiroshima have asked the game developer behind Pokemon Go to take action as players descend on the city's atomic bomb memorial park.

They have asked Niantic to remove "Pokestops" and other virtual sites that show up in the park for those playing the augmented-reality game. The western Japanese city wants them deleted by August 6, the anniversary of the 1945 bombing and the date of an annual ceremony to remember the victims. Niantic declined to comment, saying it would not make public any discussions with a third party.

Gamers play Pokemon Go near the Atomic Bomb Dome at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

The expansive Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is meant as a solemn memorial to the victims, but it has become a draw for players since the Japanese release of the addictive smartphone game last Friday. Elsewhere, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC and nearby Arlington National Cemetery have made similar requests to Niantic.

Holocaust museum spokesman Andrew Hollinger said on Wednesday that the museum had been removed from the game according to its wishes. Niantic offers a form to request exclusions, but it is neither automatic nor guaranteed. The location-aware app gives digital rewards for visiting real places that have been designated Pokestops and Gyms in the game.

http://www.independent.ie/world-news...-34918686.html

[waltky]

Some real-world locations to be revised for security reasons...

Pokemon Go being revised after complaints over sensitive locations
Saturday 30th July, 2016 - The creators of Pokemon Go say they are working to remove real-world locations that do not wish to be included in the mobile gaming sensation after a series of complaints about the use of sensitive sites.

The Pokemon Company's consumer marketing director JC Smith said the firm is updating the augmented-reality game so it remains fun for players but respects the real world. The location-aware game provides virtual rewards for players who visit real sites designated as "Pokestops". Several locations, such as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in Japan and Arlington National Cemetery in Washington DC, have asked to be removed from Pokemon Go.

Mr Smith could not say when any updates will be live. Pokemon Go developer Niantic offers an online form to request exclusions, but changes to the game are not automatic. Mr Smith said: "When something is really popular, we have to figure out the most respectful way to deal with it and make sure that everyone is playing safely and doing things in a respectful manner. "It's only been two weeks since it launched, and there's been so much attention and so many people playing that it's tough to think of all the ways it could affect the world."

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park is among the sites to be targeted by Pokemon hunters

Since the free game launched on July 6 for mobile devices and rocketed to the top of the download charts, some players have injured themselves in pursuit of virtual monsters or have been distracted while playing while driving. "For us, we're making sure the play experience is done right," said Mr Smith. "Initially, there was some server overload, which we've worked on. Now, we're looking at features in the game and how to fine-tune them so that it's appealing to the fans but also respectful of the private institutions that are affected by it."

For some sensitive locations, change has already come to Pokemon Go. US Holocaust Memorial Museum spokesman Andrew Hollinger said the museum had been removed from the game per its wishes. Despite the monumental success of Pokemon Go, Mr Smith said the mobile game's triumph is not affecting how the Pokemon Company is approaching future projects based on the 20-year-old franchise, such as a live-action film to be produced by Legendary Entertainment, or the upcoming Pokemon Sun and Pokemon Moon games for the Nintendo 3DS.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/ne...-34922995.html

[waltky]

Guess dey didn't see the robber avatar...

Pokemon GO players robbed at gunpoint in London park
Sat Jul 30, 2016 - Three teenagers playing the hit game Pokemon GO have been robbed at gunpoint in a north London park and forced to hand over their mobile phones, British police said on Saturday.

Armed robberies are rare in Britain and police said they were hunting three suspects thought to be aged around 16 or 17 in relation to the incident on Tuesday evening. While one suspect demanded that the three teenagers hand over their phones, a second revealed what the police said was a handgun from his waistband. The three teenagers handed over their phones and left the scene unhurt.

A man uses a mobile phone in front of an advertisement board bearing the image of Pokemon Go at an electronic shop in Tokyo, Japan

Nintendo Pokemon GO has become the unexpected and runaway smash hit of the year, with players looking at their mobile screens to find virtual Pokemon characters that are appearing at office spaces, restaurants, museums, parks and other sites via the augmented reality technology.

The game has already been blamed for a rash of accidents and a slew of mishaps stemming from distracted players. First rolled out just over three weeks ago, the game has driving up Nintendo's market value by 50 percent.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-br...-idUSKCN10A0HN

[waltky]

A small Sydney suburban park off limits to Pokemon Go players after chaos...

Park removed from ‘Pokemon Go’ after chaos
Wed, Aug 03, 2016 - A small Sydney suburban park that attracted thousands of Pokemon Go players, causing the grassy spot to turn to mud, has disappeared from the popular mobile game after complaints of chaos.

The backlash in the Sydney suburb of Rhodes is the latest battle between avid players of the augmented-reality game, which has been a huge hit since it was rolled out last month, and authorities unhappy with the crowds it can attract. “Weekends, particularly at night, there were up to a 1,000, 1,500 people in the park,” City of Canada Bay Council Deputy Mayor Helen McCaffrey said. “The grass is no longer there and residents after three-and-a-half weeks were just over it,” she said of Peg Paterson Park, which has a playground and is surrounded by tall apartment buildings. “When a rare Pokemon was caught, there would be a cheer and cars would honk as the traffic was becoming horrific. I spoke to somebody a couple of days ago who was coming in from Penrith [45km away] to play,” she added.

Dozens of people gather to play Pokemon Go in front of the Sydney Opera House in Australia

The council encouraged residents to complain directly to the game’s developer, US-based software company Niantic, to ask for the park to be deleted from the game after they complained of “complete chaos” and rubbish being dumped. “All 3 pokestops removed. Not a single soul left in the park. Not one,” wrote a Facebook user late on Monday, while another added: “For the people still convinced that Rhodes is still the hot spot ... Let it go, mourn the loss.... It’s dead! Gone!”

The game — which has the tagline “catch ’em all” — allows players to chase virtual cartoon character monsters with their smartphones, with Peg Paterson Park particularly popular due to the regular appearance of a rare Pokemon. While Pokemon Go has been praised as a fun way to get people outdoors, it has also attracted safety warnings about not walking into oncoming traffic, straying into restricted areas or becoming a victim of crime. The app by Niantic has now been launched in more than 40 nations, including the US, Japan and much of Europe. It has been downloaded more than 75 million times.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/worl.../03/2003652370

See also:

New York to bar sex offenders from ‘Pokemon Go’
Wed, Aug 03, 2016 - New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday directed state authorities to prevent about 3,000 registered sex offenders on parole from playing Pokemon Go in an effort to safeguard children who play.

The state’s Department of Corrections and Community Services is making that a condition of supervised release from state prison for all sex offenders. State officials recommended that county probation offices adopt the same policy. “As technology evolves, we must ensure these advances don’t become new avenues for dangerous predators to prey on new victims,” Cuomo said. The governor’s office said it was not aware of any actual incident yet, but the potential is there.

The Democratic governor has also sent a letter to software developer Niantic requesting help prohibiting sexual predators from playing the online game, where players roam through the physical world searching for virtual Pokemon creatures. Niantic did not reply to requests for comment.

New York law requires registered sex offenders to keep home addresses, e-mail accounts, screen names and other Internet identifiers with the Division of Criminal Justice Services, which maintains the publicly accessible online registry. The division also shares that information with about 40 social media businesses and has contacted Niantic in an effort to work with that company, spokeswoman Janine Kava said. The division has sent about 52,000 records related to 18,544 sex offenders since 2008 that have been used to remove names from social media sites, according to the governor’s office.

State Senator Jeff Klein, a Democrat who last week raised similar concerns, said New York already prohibits high-level offenders on parole from using social media. He proposed requiring game manufacturers take steps to ensure the virtual Pokemon creatures do not pop up within 30m of offenders’ homes, saying visits to 100 registered offenders’ residences showed Pokemon materialized in front of them 57 percent of the time. Klein said the only actual case he knew of was in Greenfield, Indiana, where a probation officer saw a 42-year-old sex offender playing the game with a 16-year-old boy on the county courthouse lawn last month. The man, on probation and prohibited from contact with minors, was arrested.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/worl.../03/2003652376

[decedent]

My pokedex is impressive. I'm bored of the game now. It was a nice time waster.